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Category: Conferences & Workshops

RJ Thesman Shares Her Strategy for Creative Production

RJ ThesmanRJ Thesman is the author of 10 books and 700+ articles, and her work has been included in 14 anthologies. She is also a Certified Writing Coach who helps other writers birth their words. Thesman writes from the heartland of Kansas where she lives with her adult son and an elderly cat. She enjoys teaching workshops, gardening and cooking, especially anything with blueberries.

Check out her website at RJThesman.net

If you were at a book event and someone asked you, “Why do you write?” what would you say? I’ve been writing since I was a child. I can’t NOT write.
Share a tidbit that has helped you in writing and/or marketing. Frontload the week. Do your most creative work on Mon-Wed, then do the marketing and admin work when you’re tired on Thurs-Sat.
Do you have a mentor and/or author/and/or book that helped you this past year. The book by Joanna Penn, “How to Market Your Book”
What frustrates you the most, the editing or marketing? Neither
Do you ever struggle with writer’s block and if so, how do you overcome? Not yet.
Is there a scripture that helped you in your writing journey this past year? Psalm 54:4 “God is my helper and ally; the Lord is my upholder and is with them who uphold my life” (Amplified)

RJ Thesman Coaching SessionBe sure to check out RJ’s workshops at this year’s conference:

Finding Your Writing Plan & The Missing Piece to the Marketing Puzzle.

This year RJ’s offering her coaching skills. Signup today!

2018 Conference Keynote Ronie Kendig, and “New Story Smell”

Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author of over fifteen novels. She grew up as an Army brat, and now she and her Army-veteran husband live in beautiful Northern Virginia with their children and a retired military working dog, VVolt N629. Ronie’s degree in Psychology has helped her pen novels of intense, raw characters.
For more information, check out Ronie’s website at www.RonieKendig.com.

If you were at a book event and someone asked you, “Why do you write?” what would you say? ​ For me, writing is therapy. It’s the way I explore life and the adventure of it, the way I have an incredible sense of God’s presence as story elements I never dreamed of take shape and actually make sense (imagine!). I simply can’t not write. ​
Share a tidbit that has helped you in writing and/or marketing.
Do you have a mentor and/or author/and/or book that helped you this past year. ​Absolutely–Susan May Warren is a godsend and a brilliant woman. Her creativity is amazing, and she is filled with wisdom and graciousness–she loves to give and help others. She has helped me this year as I build my indie titles and generate income. She’s always encouraged me, right from the beginning of my career. And she’s, quite simply, a gorgeous friend! ​
What frustrates you the most, the editing or marketing? ​YES! Oh, was I supposed to only choose one? Honestly, they both drain me sometimes. Editing–as we all know–helps the story, but it is really rough on me, since my first love is “new story smell.” ​Marketing is draining because it steals so much time from the creative side of being a writer. Ultimately, but help our novels find readers they wouldn’t otherwise find, but I prefer to sniff that new-story smell and ride the “high” of that first draft and discovering who my character are, who they aren’t, and what will both propel and inhibit their success.

Meet Jennifer Slattery, 2017 Wordsowers Conference workshop leader. She will be teaching Avoiding Story Deflators. 

Jennifer Slattery is a multi-published author, freelance writer, editor, and the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries, a ministry that seeks to help women discover, embrace, and live out who they are in Christ. She writes Christian living articles for Crosswalk.com and is the managing and acquisitions editor for Guiding Light Women’s Fiction, and imprint with Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Visit her online at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com

Connect with Jennifer

  Facebook   Twitter   Website   Pinterest

What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. My heart is first and foremost for the writer. I love seeing men and women discover, grab hold of, and live out who they are in Christ and what He’s called them to do. In other words, though I’m looking for strong manuscripts for my women’s fiction imprint, I’m also coming to this conference as a fellow traveler, cheerleader, encourager, and friend.

What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop? Who will get the most out of your workshop? Though this workshop is geared toward fiction writers, we’ll be looking at some key components of strong writing. Therefore, writers of all genres should be able to glean helpful information that, if applied, will bring their writing to the next level.

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be? Can I share two? First, I’d say, if this is something you truly want (to get a publishing contract, article acceptance, or whatever your personal writing goal is), pursue it with perseverance and diligence. Learn as much as you can, and recognize that the more teachable you are, the stronger your writing will be. Also recognize that this is a long, difficult journey, one where many quit along the way. Determine now what you’ll do when (not if) rejections come and the writing becomes difficult. Write this in your journal and pray over this often.

Jennifer’s books are sure to encourage you. Enjoy her most recent release.

Restoring Love

Mitch, a contractor and house-flipper, is restoring a beautiful old house in an idyllic Midwestern neighborhood. Angela, a woman filled with regrets and recently transplanted to his area, is anything but idyllic. She’s almost his worst nightmare, and she s also working on restoring something herself. As he struggles to keep his business afloat and she works to overcome mistakes of her past, these two unlikely friends soon discover they have something unexpected in common, a young mom who is fighting to give her children a better life after her husband’s incarceration. While both Mitch and Angela are drawn to help this young mother survive, they also find themselves drawn to each other. Will a lifetime of regrets hold them back or unite them and bring redemption along with true love?

Purchase your copy

Amazon      Barnes and Noble       CBD

 

Our next introduction is Anne Rauth. She will be leading the workshop Jesus Would be on Linked In at the 2017 Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference.

An award winning author, Anne received her MBA from the University of Kansas and started her professional career at Hallmark Cards in the Advertising and Hallmark Hall of Fame Division.  Currently she works at Mercy and Truth Medical Missions, a safety net clinic in the Kansas county with the lowest healthcare rankings in the state.

PS  Don’t try to link with Anne before the conference.  Come to her workshop to find out why.

 What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. Anne Rauth grew up in a small town in Northwest Missouri and can make a post, or any other inanimate object, talk to her.  So, if you want to engage in lively “small talk banter”, find her.  As the mom of three boys, and wife of almost 25 years to Scott, there’s no shortage of devotional topics to write about; just shortage of time to jot them down.  If you must have a conversation starter, ask her about the time she found her oldest son asleep in their claw foot bath tub, and blamed Abbie the Labbie, their family dog.

What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop? Who will get the most out of your workshop? Anne’s workshop is “Jesus would be on Linked In”.  If you’ve always wanted to “link up” on this social media platform, which has the largest business audience in the world this workshop is for you.  You’ll gain  a better understanding of Linked In, learn how to get an “All Star Profile” and hear insights about Linked In that Anne has learned along the way.

Anne believes the biggest takeaway from using Linked In is the power of relationship building and how much knowledge you can gain about someone before you meet them.

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be? Anne encourages writers with her “one word” of the year (it’s hyphenated) to:   PRESS-ON.  This word was taken from Philippians 3:14:  “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  PRESS-ON with your writing while PRESSING IN to Jesus.

 

 

It’s not too late to join us!

Attending a conference is a commitment. You have to reserve the block of time (which gets harder and harder with today’s busy lifestyle). You have to pay the conference fees. You have to prepare a pitch in case you run into the perfect editor or agent. And the list goes on. Sometimes it feels like too much! So why should you attend? Here are just a few reasons.

 

Reason#1: You’ll learn

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been writing professionally for years or if you just scratched out your first short story last night, you WILL learn something at a conference. It might be something little or something huge or a bunch of little things in between. There’s no walking away from a writer’s conference without new knowledge.

 

Reason#2: You’ll meet others like you

There’s something about writers being around other writers. You understand each other! Finally, someone who gets why you can’t stop writing a story until it’s finished because the voices in your head won’t leave you alone. Finally, someone who has been through the same struggles to get published as you. Writers understand writers! And it’s just plain fun to be around others who enjoy the craft.

 

Reason#3: You never know what will come of your attendance

When you attend a writer’s conference, you’re surrounded by opportunity. There are editors there waiting to hear your pitch. There are agents there hungry for just the right story. There are professionals ready to give you advice on what to do and how to do it. You never know what will come out of your time at the conference. You might make a connection that leads to publication. You might get inspiration for the next great American novel. You might meet a new best writing friend. You never know what you’re going to get, but it’s going to be great!

Under each of these reasons you’ll find a dozen or more others just like them; 101 reasons, or more, depending on how you count them. Sign up! Go! You won’t regret it!

It’s not too late to join us!

Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.

Use #Wordsowers2017 when you share with your friends.

 

 

Meet Nancy L. Sharp, children’s author and 2017 Wordsowers conference workshop leader.

Children’s Author N. L. Sharp is an educational writing consultant from Fremont, Nebraska. Born in Valentine, graduated from Ponca, with college degrees from both the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, she is proud to claim that she is now and always has been a Nebraska writer. She is the author of several published books, including Effie’s Image (a former Nebraska Golden Sower nominee), The Flower Girl / The Ring Bear: A Flip-Over Book(named an iParenting Media Award winner by the Disney Corporation), and the novel Keeping Captain. Sharp is currently working on several other writing projects, including a series of middle-grade novels for children, ages 8-12, and a writing curriculum for elementary and middle-grade students.

Connect with Nancy on her website.

What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. Besides being a writer, I am a teacher. One of my greatest joys is to share with others some of the lessons I have been fortunate enough to have experienced on my own personal writing and publishing journey. If anything I have done (or not done, and wished I had) can help others, I am more than eager to share that information with them.

What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop and why. Who will get the most out of your workshop? Because I am a children’s writer, anyone who is writing for the children’s market will find my workshop of value. But because I have been published both traditionally (Boyds Mills Press) and as an independent author (with my own publishing house, Prairieland Press) and have had success with both routes (I have had 2 of my books listed on Nebraska’s Golden Sower list–which is the children’s choice award in Nebraska), I think anyone who is trying to better understand the pros and cons of publishing traditionally vs. self-publishing will find my workshop helpful.

Therefore, I think the biggest take-away from my workshop will be to help participants decide what is the best publishing route for them (traditional or self-publishing), regardless of which age writer they are targeting, but especially, if they are writing for children.

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be?  Years ago, I took a Steven Covey class, and I think that his advice to “Begin with the end in mind” is great advice when choosing a publishing route. If you understand exactly what your main goal is in writing and publishing a piece of writing, then the choice of how to publish it (a short story in a magazine, a blog post, a self-published book, publish with a royalty publisher, publish with a work-for-hire publisher, etc.) will be much more easily made.

Check out Nancy’s books!http://www.nlsharp.com/books/the-flower-girl-the-ring-bear-a-flip-over-book/

 

 

 

 

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Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.

Meet Laree Lindburg. Laree will be at the 2017 Wordsowers Writers Conference representing Electric Moon Publishing. 

What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. My husband and I have five children. Last August, my husband prayerfully took over his father’s business which moved our clan a bit west to a rural area. We now live in the home I grew up in from age eight until eighteen. Other than the aforementioned, one of the more significant changes in my life since moving includes the many opportunities to minister to my in-laws and other relation, whom we now live much closer to. Come visit me and we’ll talk life (and books)!

Connect with Laree and Electric Moon: Website   Facebook    Twitter 

Tell us a little about Electric Moon Publishing. What are some of the ways you can help an author? Emoon acts as a publishing partner for indie authors, ministries, and organizations. The author and eMoon collaborate from writing & editing to cover design & interior layout, and finally publishing & distribution/marketing. With eMoon, the author retains all rights and royalties! As a dovetail to publishing, eMoon has prayerfully begun a speaker’s bureau for powerful voices with solid messages. Ask us for more details–www.emoonpublishing.com or info@emoonpublishing.com.

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer looking to self-publish, what would it be? Take your time. Do not rush. Traditional publishers allow well over a year to produce a book for the masses to consume. Self/indie-published authors need to slow down. Realize you, too, can create as beautiful and desirable a book as a traditional publisher–the support is out there to achieve such a feat. The key is to be diligent, meticulous; as an indie author, you are your last front before print. It rests on your shoulders, but there are a plethora of experts and talented individuals to help, which makes the option quite desirable, especially since you can keep your rights and royalties.

Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.

Rose Zediker, 2017 Wordsowers Conference workshop leader, will be presenting Put Your Manuscript on a Diet.

Multi-published author and RITA finalist, Rose Ross Zediker, writes contemporary and historical inspirational romances and has hundreds of publishing credits in the Christian magazine genre for children and adults. Her titles have appeared on ECPA bestseller lists and been finalists for the RITA, National Reader’s Choice, Booksellers Best and Book Buyers Best award contests. Rose is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America.

                           Connect with Rose    Blog   ~  Inkspirational Messages

What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. I like to talk about all aspect of writing, the good (new markets, acceptances) and the bad (cancelled contracts, rejections).

What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop? Who will get the most out of your workshop? The greatest take away from my workshop is editors want tight, active writing and the over use of adverbs is ‘telling’ not ‘showing’. Beginning writers and anyone in the revision process will benefit from this information

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be? Read as many books on the craft of writing and the business side of writing that you can!

 

Check out Rose’s novella Railroaded into Love, a part of the inspirational novella collection, Lassoed by Marriage.

Railroaded into Love

Montana 1895-Molly is tainted by having an outlaw brother on the run and seems the least likely bride for a pastor of a chapel railroad car. Forced together by duty to family and faith, can they build a life and mission together?

Purchased your copy: 

Amazon   ~   Barnes and Noble

 

 

Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.

 

Lee Warren

Meet Lee Warren, a workshop leader for Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference.

Lee WarrenLee Warren writes contemplative essay and devotional books.

His essays remind you to slow down and enjoy the present moment because we’re only here for a little while. Readers say his essays are vulnerable, open, honest, engaging, insightful and thought-provoking.

His devotional books provide practical, story-driven devotional material you can use every morning to get your private worship started right. Readers call his devotional books encouraging, inspiring and thoughtful.

When Lee isn’t writing essays or devotional material, he is a freelance journalist who has written hundreds of articles for various newspapers and magazines. He’s also a fan of NASCAR, baseball, tennis, books, movies and coffee shops. 

 What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. My first article was published seventeen years ago, but I still make mistakes. I tend to focus too much on tactics and not enough on strategy. I waited way too long to develop a business model. Some of my books have done well, while others have flopped. Sometimes, I focus too much on marketing and not enough on writing. I’m slow to change.

We’re all works in progress and we all had to start somewhere. We can learn from each other. So, let’s sit down and talk at the conference. I’m looking forward to meeting you.

What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop and why? Who will get the most out of your workshop? “Writing as a Business – Creating a Plan” will help writers make good decisions about four specific areas of their business: business model, product development, finances, and editorial schedule.

We’ll discuss choosing one of three business models, the ideal creation space (philosophically speaking) for product development, bootstrapping as a new author, and how to develop an editorial schedule so you can stay on pace with product development.

Writers who are ready to treat their work as a business would benefit most from this workshop. Even experienced writers will pick up some great tips and maybe gain a bit of clarity for their vision.

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be? Plan before you write. It’ll save you a ton of time on the back end.

If you are writing fiction, which genre will your book fall into? What is the typical word count for novels in your genre? What is the most used point of view most in your genre? What are the genre tropes you need to include in your novel?

If you are writing nonfiction, how many words is the typical nonfiction book in your genre? What type of tone is common in your genre?

If you are going indie, what types of book covers are doing well in the top 100 bestsellers of your genre? Are there any color schemes that seem to be used over and over again? Do most of the top selling covers use stock photos, or do they use vector images, or something else?

If you are writing articles for magazines, newspapers, or websites, have you read the writers guidelines to learn the word count or to determine what the publication needs as far as topics are concerned?

If you are writing devotions, which layout does the publication you are targeting use? The standard layout is Bible verse, illustration, explanation, application. But some publications want the Bible verse at the end. Others want the explanation before the illustration.

Do your homework ahead of time by reading the writers guidelines and sample copies (or by reading the top books in your genre) so you won’t be paralyzed by the fear of the unknown when it comes time to write.

Connect with Lee: Facebook   Website   Twitter 

Write That Devotional BookIf you are looking for help in writing a devotional book, Lee has written “Write That Devotional Book: From Dream to Reality.” You’ll learn about all of the key components of a devotion, how to structure a devotion, how to map out your book, and how to target a specific audience. This resource even includes a couple of sample devotions in the back, broken down by section. You can find out more about the book on Lee’s website.

Get your copy on Amazon

 

 

Debra Butterfield

Meet Debra Butterfield, the Motivational Editor and Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference workshop leader. 

Debra is the author of the new Writer’s Workshop booklet series Working with an Editor Book 1, from Brooklet Press (an imprint of CrossRiver Media Group), Abba’s Promise, and Carried by Grace: a Guide for Mothers of Victims of Sexual Abuse. Her magazine credits include CBN.com, Susie, Live, The Vision, and On Course online. She is a freelance editor as well as an editor for CrossRiver Media Group publishing.

What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop and why. Who will get the most out of your workshop? Attendees will learn to explore point of view rather than automatically giving that role to the protagonist. New to intermediate writers will get the most benefit.

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be? Stay focused on God throughout your journey in life and in writing.

What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. I am as excited to meet them as they are to meet me. I’m at the conference to help them grow and I can’t do that if they avoid me.

Connect with Debra on her Website  Facebook  Twitter  Newsletter

Working with an Editor Book 1 will be on the shelves before you know it.

In the meantime, check out Debra’s other books on her book page.

 

Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.

Meet RJ Thesman, author of Sometimes They Forget and Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference workshop leader. 

RJ THESMAN is the author of the popular Reverend G trilogy and has just released her newest book, “Sometimes They Forget – Finding Hope in the Alzheimer’s Journey.” Thesman is a certified life and writing coach, a biblical counselor and a Stephen minister. She lives in the heartland of Kansas with her son and an elderly cat.

What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. I love coaching writers and helping them birth their words. It gives me great joy to give back what has been given to me.

What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop and why// Who will get the most out of your workshop? To move toward our writing goals, we first must understand what a goal is and then how we can plan to reach that goal. This workshop is for all genres of writers as we’ll discover ways to meet our writing goals and learn how to avoid the blocks that keep us stuck.

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be? Write what your heart wants to say. We can be bombarded with people who say we “should” write this or that b/c it sells or b/c it is currently trendy. Be true to yourself and authentic in what God has called you to write.

Connect with RJ: Website  Facebook  Twitter  LinkedIn   Facebook Group

 

Sometimes They Forget – Finding Hope in the Alzheimer’s Journey

Caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients grieve through the Long Good-bye while trying to meet the needs of their loved ones. These caregivers find nuggets of hope in “Sometimes They Forget.”

Get your copy HERE.

Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.

Rita Rocker

Meet Rita Rocker, Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference workshop leader. 

Rita RockerRita Rocker is an international published author, life-transforming inspirational and educational speaker, communications and image specialist, and career consultant with Transformation Academy, LLC. She inspires individuals to rise and go forward by providing powerful techniques for victorious personal and professional life makeovers. Clients include teens, adult men and women, and the elderly. She works with individuals, professional organizations, corporations, youth programs, and at conferences and retreats.

Rita has appeared on national television and radio talk shows on self-esteem and communication. Her professional background also includes corporate training, human resources and non-technical project management. She is a former Mrs. Nebraska and Mrs. America contestant (whose husband died during her term from cancer), and on the international board for Professional Woman Network.

On a personal note, Rita’s passion to transform lives comes from climbing out of her own deep pit of very low self-worth, domestic violence with physical/mental/emotional abuse, self-sabotaging behavior through fear of failure and rejection, emotional eating, care giving, personal loss, and self-destructive relationships.

Rita understands what it is like being stricken with several health issues and eight surgeries in two years including a brain tumor, jaw bone tumor and Meniere’s disease. She is very authentic and transparent while filling her clients, audiences and readers with hope, help, humor and heart!

What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. I have been passionate about providing personal and career development for over 30 years. My passion is to walk alongside individuals, educating and encouraging them to reach their full potential in life, relationships and their given career path, to help build up and influence those around them.

What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop and why? Who will get the most out of your workshop? Those who want to really “tell” their story and share all that their book has to offer, whether life, learning, entertaining, educating will leave with tools to use immediately to bring their book pages to life. They will be able to life, or even conviction, to the written page. Participants will gain greater confidence in their presentation skills, enabling them to move away from fear and focus on all of the possibilities of communication with a live audience that can give them such enjoyment. Learn techniques to bring your book to life – taking your story off the pages and infusing emotions, enthusiasm into your audience. It is a fun and rewarding experience for all—especially for you!

Attendees will leave my workshop with numerous tips and techniques to be the best they can be, turning their written story into a knockout presentation to audiences who connect with their genre.

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be? You have a powerful story to tell and when you ask God to speak through you, He will give you clear direction. As you continue to develop yourself, and your speaking and writing ability, you become even better equipped to build up, minister to, and encourage others. Happiness comes from you making things happen instead of waiting for things to happen to and for you. Exchange your gifts and knowledge with all of those who will be blessed hearing/receiving it. Life will never be the same.

Connect with Rita: Website  Facebook  LinkedIn  Twitter

Hope at the End of Your Rope

What is a rope? It is a strong cable that connects, secures or binds. Individual strands are fairly weak and ineffective by themselves, but the synergy of numerous strands (divinely appointed people, places and circumstances) wound together provides great strength for you on your life’s journey. Learn how to use the obstacles thrown in your way as stepping stones to new heights of success and joy.

Rita Rocker knows first-hand how trials and disappointments can leave you dangling at the end of your own too-familiar rope called life, where wearisome circumstances can leave you exhausted, with little energy to fulfill your destiny. Let today be the beginning of your new journey. You are the architect and builder of your life. Using this book as a guide, you can design a new blueprint, one that creates an exciting, fulfilled life from this day forward.

 Get your copy of Hope at the End of Your Rope HERE

 

Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.